What on earth was banal about my comments ? FYI - Banal means boring. If the comment were boring then you could have ignored it, in the same way you suggested I could have ignored the OP. Crass, yes it was insensitive, but it was meant as banter to provoke some reaction. This is an open forum, I can frankly, post what I like, it was not exactly insulting. Indeed, I have never posted anything criticising anyone else on here. I hardly expected agreement but just some fun discourse. I apologise that this was apparently not plainly obvious.
Sir, cricket is an inescapable blight which permeates our TV's, newspapers and sadly, now this wonderful football forum. ............................... take my comments in the sprit they were intended mate and lighten up.
The more that comes out about this decision, the more lily-livered it looks. Cook seems to have been the prime mover in getting Pietersen sacked, not for any punch-ups in the dressing room, but because Pietersen made Andy Flower aware of a team meeting which was critical of Flower. No doubt the next coach will be an ECB yes man, but I would be delighted if the new man decided that Cook wasn't a good enough captain and that he wanted Pietersen back in the squad.
May not be a team player, but cricket is unusual as, when it counts - i.e facing the bowling or delivering the ball - its not a team game. KP is still easily the best batsman we have, and one of our best ever. It's not often I agree with Piers Morgan (this may be a first) but I'm sure if you asked England cricket fans whether they want him in or out, the (possibly vast) majority would say in. When he walks out to the wicket the pulse quickens and excitement level builds. This is a blow aginst entertainment, and the sport will suffer as a result. KP of course will end up much richer as he trudges round the world from 20/20 tournament to 20/20 tournament, just like Chris Gayle.
He's a maverick, and, like other mavericks (Botham, Flintoff, Boycott, Best, Cantona, Bowles, Taarabt(!)) he needs to be managed differently to run-of-the-mill players. Downton and Cook have decided that they can't manage him, so he has to go. I know who I would rather watch out of Cook and Pietersen. As you say, a blow against entertainment.
At 33 he is in his prime, so a huge loss to Test Match Cricket......Yes he had a poor Ashes as did most but when in full flow there is nobody I would rather watch or more accruately listen to the TMS commentators describe his batting brilliance......
He's a cnut. Talent, yes. Courageous; loyal; exemplary; self-effacing; thoughtful; diligent; patriotic; collegiate......? W/anchor
Test cricket is attrition, where every weakness is targetted. Pietersen doesn't have the patience to 'knuckle down' when the team is under pressure, how many times does he get out to slow left-arm bowlers? Or to 'hollywood' shots when just seeing out a session is required? There is no doubt he is one of the most talented batsman we've seen play for England but he can't be relied upon in adversity. A good comparison would be Brad Haddin, a player with a fraction of Pietersen's talent, but one who's attitude and application has carried his team on so many occasions. There comes a time when a team has to be rebuilt and, sadly, KP won't be part of it. He said he wouldn't play the one-day formats if he didn't play in the tests so he's helped rule himself out of the rest. It'll be interesting to see if he continues to play for Surrey as the T20 will only be played on Friday nights this year. As with most 'mavericks', it was always going to end in tears and England will be under incredible pressure if they continue their losing streak in his absence as, no doubt, Piers Morgan and Shane Warne in particular will glory in every failure...
